Rubber bumper and contouring unit for chair seats



H. W. KNAPP July 26, 1955 RUBBER BUMPER AND CONTOURING UNIT FOR CHAIR SEATS Filed Aug. 26, 1954 1 N VEN TOR United States Patent Office 2,713,892 Patented July 25, 1955 RUBBER BUMPER AND CONTOURING UNIT FOR CHAIR SEATS Howard W. Knapp, Youngstown, Ohio,

General Fireproofing Company, corporation of Ohio assignor to The Youngstown, Ohio, a

This invention relates to furniture, more particularly to a rubber bumper and contouring unit for the edge of the chair seat.

Heretofore, it has been the general custom to provide upholstered chair seats with edge padding which is not effective from the standpoint of durable wear, particularly Where the edge of the seat is subjected to contact with other chairs, desk legs, or the like. In some cases the upholstery at the edge of the seats becomes scuffed and worn, and when made of cotton, kapok or similar padding frequently becomes lumpy and displaced, and, moreover, offers little or no resistance to knocks or blows because of the lack of inherent resiliency sufficient to absorb a substantial blow, as well as to deaden sound, as for example, in the case of metal chairs when used with other metal furniture which also becomes scuffed or marred.

Accordingly, the present invention has in view the provision of a durable, resilient pre-formed edge padding unit which has superior wear resting and percussion absorbing characteristics and, therefore, fulfills a definite and long-felt need in the chair seat art while at the same time increasing the range of style and ornamentation.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a standardized rubber edge padding which may be so formed as to be self-sustaining when initially placed on the edge of the chair seat to enable the same to be finally anchored in place, and at the same time facilitate the application of an external covering of suitable upholstery material.

Another object of the invention is to provide a molded or extruded edge forming element which may be made and stocked for future use, out into desired lengths, and when applied to the edge of a rigid seat, pan or the like, performs the functions of a bumper, a permanent shape retaining element and a firm edge contouring member for the upholstery covering.

With the above and other objects in view which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

A preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is an isometric top view of a chair seat includ ing the present novel edge element before the upholstering material is applied, and showing a portion of the chair back and legs in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken through a cushioned seat structure, illustrating the complete assembly of the parts with the novel edge bumper element.

Fig. 3 is a detail section of a modified form of unit whose body is formed to provide a front wall ofdifferent profile than that shown in Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing, Fig. 1, as stated, illustrates a top isometric view of a metal seat pan 10, on a chair partly shown, with a section through an exterior covering of upholstering material 11, shown as a complete covering in Fig. 2. The pan may be formed with breather openings 12, if desired. These openings are used only when a plastic coated covering is used for the upholstering material, as air in the unit must be released and a plastic cover is not porous and does not breathe like cloth material. The seat pan 10 comprises a turned down flange 13, see Fig. 2, which may continue for the thickness of the seat or, as illustrated, it may have an added individual adaptor section 14 with a base flange 15 turned in vertical spaced position under the bottom of the pan 10.

The added adaptor section 14 is vertically adjustable relative to flange 13 and has the advantage of providing for adaptation to various types of chairs having different seat thickness and for use with various sizes of the present novel edge elements, such as rubber bumpers 16, which are considered a specific novel feature of this invention. After section 14 and flange 13 are assembled in final position they are secured together as shown in Figures 2 and 3. Thus it is clear that the seat pans 10 may be made in large quantities without regard to the thickness of any particular seat.

The novel feature of a solid unit, such as 16 adapted to serve as a bumper and form retainer around a metal seat pan, replaces the known destructable conventional edge padding of the prior art, usually made of fibrous material, and provides a very superior, economical and durable standard form.

In Fig. 2, for example, a detailed construction is shown comprising a foam rubber seat cushion or pad 17 topped by the upholstering material 11, which cushion rests on the pan 10 and over the turned over part of the rubber bumper unit 16 secured to the seat pan. For example, the unit 16 comprises a solid body of extruded or molded rubber or other suitable yieldable and resilient material having a main bumper portion with an outward bulge B, whereby form retention and bumper action is made more efficient. From the bulge B the main portion tapers in one direction inwardly to the edge 18 thereof, which edge is substantially even with the lowermost edge of adaptor 14 and around which edges the upholstering material 11 is pulled for suitable anchoring to adaptor flange 15. The main portion of the bumper 16 curves inward from the bulge B at its opposite end from edge 18 into a strip 19 of relatively narrow thickness and as illustrated in Fig. 2, this strip 19 is bent over onto the top surface of the seat pan 10 to form an attaching flange.

It is to be understood at this point of the description that these rubber bumpers may be extruded or molded as flat strips and the upper strip 19 folded over subsequently, or they may be extruded or molded with the strip 19 formed as an integral flange, that is, in its bent over position in the manner of a set flange. The strip 19 or flange laps over the edge of the pan 10 and is secured to the seat pan by suitable means, such as Wire stitching 20.

While the foregoing specification describes, and the drawing illustrates the specific details of the invention, it is to be expressly understood that the same is not limited to these details, and, therefore, changes and modifications are intended to be covered hereby as may be broadly construed to be within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a metal chair pan, having a vertically depending flange and an adaptor means with a bottom angled flange, said adaptor means being connected to said chair pan flange, a rubber bumper unit, said unit having a main body portion and an angularly disposed pan securing portion, said main portion having a bulged arcuate face depending vertically over the pan flange when said pan securing portion is secured to the seat pan, said main portion having an opposite flat face extending and covering the surfaces of said chair pan flange and said adaptor means.

2. An edge unit of pre-formed configuration for upbolstered metal furniture seats comprising a body, said body having a solid resilient strip of material with a bulged arcuate front face and a rear flat face covering the front and side edges of the seat, a seat attaching part integrally formed as a part of said unit, said seat part having a fiat plane surface on both sides thereof With mitered ends and extending at substantially right angles from said rear fiat face over the top of the seat, and fastening means for securing said seat part to the upper edge surface of the seat.

3. A rubber bumper and firm contouring unit for covering the edge and side walls of metal furniture seats, comprising a mold body, said body having a solid strip portion with a bulged arcuate front surface and a flat rear surface, and a fiat surfaced seat connectable squaring 1 1 flange extending from said rear surface, said squaring flange having rnitered end edges and being relatively thinner and more flexible than said solid strip portion with the arcuate front surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNE'I'ED STATES PATENTS 178,613 Elbert June 13, 1876 1,551,452 Arias Aug. 25, 1925 2,061,054 Wood Nov. 17, 1936 2,217,754 Johnson Oct. 15, 1940 2,410,727 Furbish Nov. 5, 1946 2,646,840 Good July 28, 1953 

